March, Samuel, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1695-1700, the Samuel March House at 444 Main Street in West Newbury began as a one-cell First Period structure, the right three bays of today's five-bay facade. A one-room addition was made to the west during the same period, giving it a double-cell plan. The central chimney was later removed and replaced by two small interior flues, and a Georgian pedimented doorway was added to the front. Vinyl siding now covers the exterior. Inside, the first-floor rooms keep exposed oak posts, girts, summer beams and joists with bevel chamfers and lamb's tongue stops. Incised lines for joist mortises are visible on the summer beams. Hewn overhangs survive on the front second story and on the side second and third stories, a relatively rare survival of a popular First Period technique. In the attic, the original principal rafters remain. The house is listed for its architectural integrity and what it shows about early construction and enlargement.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house keeps its First Period chamfered frame and hewn overhangs under criterion C. Its double-cell plan shows how single-cell houses were enlarged soon after construction. The later replacement of the central chimney with twin flues reflects Georgian-era alterations, and the incised joist mortise lines on the summer beams show how carpenters built.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 90000272, listed March 9, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 444 Main St., West Newbury |
|---|---|
| County | Essex County |
| Listed | March 9, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000272 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | First Period |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition described as good; present use is residential. |
| Acreage | 1.5 |
| Coordinates | 42.80313, -70.98466 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 90000272.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7412102
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.